


How to Fall in Love (Reverse-Crush AU origins)

by lolfanficihavedescendedtothis



Series: How to be a Superhero [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste is a smol bean, Essentially the reverse crush au is heroin for marichat shippers, F/M, Fluff, Is that a bad analogy, JUST READ THE FRICKING FIC ALREADY UGH I SUCK AT THIS, ML Reverse Crush, Marinette Dupain-Cheng Is a Savage, Miraculous Reverse-Crush AU, Smitten Kitten, That's a bad analogy, This is basically how Adrien develops a crush on Marinette, and how Marinette falls in love with Chat Noir (less so though), ignore me, ml origins
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-12
Updated: 2018-07-12
Packaged: 2019-06-09 08:22:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15263331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lolfanficihavedescendedtothis/pseuds/lolfanficihavedescendedtothis
Summary: Basically, Adrien is a socially inept smol bean and Marinette is a Force of Nature™.Enjoy this one-shot about how Adrien fell in love with Marinette in the Reverse-Crush AU!





	How to Fall in Love (Reverse-Crush AU origins)

**Read on Tumblr by clicking[here](https://capncrunchofthelovesquare.tumblr.com/post/175798128654/well-since-im-reverse-crush-trash).**

He wasn’t sure why he was surprised.

Adrien had found a miniature, talking cat in his room, which was contained in a ring. At that point, nothing should have surprised him. Especially since he was wearing leather suit. With cat ears. And a god-forsaken bell.

So for the love of whatever force had created Plagg, why was his partner a ladybug?

It would have made more sense for her to be a… white cat. Or something.

Or maybe Adrien should have been a beetle.

Ladybug stared back at Chat Noir, her eyes comically wide and her lips parted. A long moment stretched between them as they swung for a moment. Ladybug’s cheeks blossomed a color almost as red as her suit, and she mumbled a quick apology. He heard her squeak as the string around them released and they went tumbling to the ground.

“I’m so sorry!” Ladybug scrambled to her feet and stared at Adrien, her gaze jumping from his eyes to his cat ears to his tail to the hand that deftly caught the staff that dropped from where he had been perched moments before. He took the chance to observe her as she rattled off a dozen more apologies.

Through Adrien’s life, he had developed a list of things he looked for when he met people - a sort of way for him to gauge how his father would react to them and how they would react to his father. 

1.  _Tall or short?_  Short, but not outrageously so.

2.  _Hair color_. Black.

3.  _Eye color_. Blue - like the endless fields of bluebells Adrien had seen at his Nana’s estate.

4.  _Likely to speak up for themselves and others?_  Perhaps. It was hard to gauge. Though she was a superhero, so chances were that she was as hard-shelled as they came.

5.  _Do they see Model Adrien or Human Adrien?_ Neither. They see Real Adrien.

_Conclusion One_ : Father would hate her.

_Conclusion Two_ : Adrien would very much like to get to know her, thank you very much.

Adrien smiled to himself. He already knew his father would despise this girl, and that only strengthened his urge to befriend her. If only to some day show her that not every rich person was as pretentious as Gabriel Agreste.

“It’s all good, my lady.” Chat bowed. “My name is Chat Noir. And you are…?”

When he straightened his spine, Ladybug’s face had gotten more scarlet than before. “You name have already?” Her eyes widened, and she floundered for a moment. “I-I mean y-you have a name a-already?”

Chat grinned. “Well, if you haven’t named yourself, I can save you the trouble.” He frowned and put his fingers to his chin. “Red, black spots… sounds an awful like a ladybug.”

She stared at him. Chat let out a long yawn and rolled his shoulders.

“So, Ladybug, shall we defeat our first akuma?”

* * *

Adrien stared up the front steps of the school with wide eyes.

_I’m actually doing it._

He let his hand drift towards a certain portion of his jacket, where he knew a black cat god was hovering silently. He felt a purr rumble from near his chest. Plagg had given him hell about wanting to go to school, but maybe the kawmi had finally realized how important school was to Adrien.

Adrien snapped out of his daze as a distinctly feminine and high-pitched shriek echoed down the steps. Adrien felt his shoulders drop slightly, but he still smiled as Chloé Bourgeois barreled towards him. He had been her friend since they were small, when her mother had left. He still remembered her frequent tantrums - remembered how she told him that she wanted to be such a nuisance that her mommy would have to come back. He remembered how on her twelfth birthday she had actually burst into tears when she saw all her gifts - and ran away crying because none of them were from her mother.

But more than that, Adrien remembered the funeral. He remembered only one person staying near him when his mother died. He remembered that only Chloé had bothered about his mental health - because she had lost a parent too, and she knew what it was like.

So even if Chloé Bourgeois was not who she had been before she’d hit her teen years, Adrien remembered.

So he smiled at Chloé Bourgeois, and he did not regret it.

(A/N: yes, i did

…

Also chloe is a bully and that is absolutely not excusable but I think it’s fair to say that she and Adrien’s friendship wasn’t necessarily all in her head – Cap'n Crunch)

* * *

“What are you doing?”

“I’m teaching some brats a lesson.” Chloé shot a flippant look at Adrien as Sabrina did her dirty work. Several of the other students were shooting the three of them disgusted looks, and frankly, Adrien understood why.

Adrien stared at her. “Chlo-”

“Look, Adrien, you’re new to school. Not everything is sunshine and rainbows. Some people need to be taught their place.” Chloé and Sabrina shared a look, then sat down at their desk. Adrien scowled and dropped to a crouch in front of the offenders’ bench, where a wad of chewed gum had been stuck. He frowned at it. He hated the idea of touching it, but-

“Hey!”

He jumped to his feet, twisting-

“You’re friends with Chloé, aren’t you?” The girl stared at him, her eyes piercing through him. Adrien frowned.

“What?” He blinked. “I was trying to clean it up-”

“Right.” She snorted and pushed past him, a redhead on her heels. The girl following shot a frown at Adrien as the black-haired girl dropped a napkin onto the gum and sat down beside it.

Adrien stared, then glanced at the front of the room as the teacher walked in. Slowly, he sat down next to a boy with a cap pulled low over his eyes and headphones wrapped around his neck. “I’m Adrien.”

The boy glanced at him. “Agreste?”

Adrien resisted the urge to cringe. “Yup. What’s your name?”

“Nino.” He frowned at Adrien. “I can… I can try to talk to Marinette later. About what happened.”

_Her name is Marinette._

Adrien shook his head. He was a superhero, he could handle talking to an unnervingly pretty girl about a misunderstanding. “It’s fine. I’ll do it.” He smiled weakly. “I’d be a wimp if I couldn’t even explain myself, wouldn’t I?”

Nino rose an eyebrow. Adrien mentally slapped himself. “Well, if you need any help, let me know.” The boy was silent for a few moments as the teacher - she had written Mme. Bustier on the board - began talking roll.

“Agreste, Adrien?”

Adrien blinked. Nino turned to his partner and nudged him. “You say ‘ _Present_.’”

Adrien rocketed out of his seat. “Present!”

He heard a snort a few rows back. Mme. Bustier smiled faintly as he sunk back into his seat, suddenly distinctly aware of how many eyes were on him. He had been stared at all his life, but it felt different that time. Nino frowned as his desk mate wilted in his seat.

His gaze drifted to the row beside him. The black-haired girl - Marinette - rolled her eyes and looked away, even though something seemed to have softened since their initial encounter.

“Bourgeois, Chloé?”

“Here.”

Three more names were called - including the girl with the red hair who sat next to Marinette.

“Dupain-Cheng, Marinette?”

“Present.”

French Chinese, Adrien observed idly. Not only in her name, but in her accent. Adrien had spent so long learning Chinese that he could recognize the slight differences in pronunciation. Even if Marinette herself didn’t speak Chinese, she could have easily picked it up from one of her parents.

When she noticed him staring, she shot a death glare his way. He cringed.

_Sweet lord, she hates me already._

When all the names had been called, Nino leaned over again, his facial expression less hard than before - it was like the lines in his face had blurred. “Y’know, I think you could use some friends beside Chloé. You want to sit with me at lunch?”

Adrien blinked in surprise, feeling warmth blossom in his chest. “Um. Yeah. Thanks.”

Nino only chuckled.

Adrien’s mind was racing.

1.  _Tall or short?_  It was hard to tell, since they were sitting, but Adrien guessed that they were about the same height.

2.  _Hair color_. Brown.

3.  _Eye color_. Amber? Perhaps. Adrien hadn’t seen anyone with Nino’s eyes before.

4.  _Likely to speak up for themselves and others?_  Nino seemed like the kind of guy who would stand up for his friends, but maybe not a stranger. Of course, that assumption was always hard to gauge for Adrien, since he almost always had no proof upon his first meeting with someone.

5.  _Do they see Model Adrien or Human Adrien?_ Model Adrien. But Adrien had the sneaking suspicion that Nino desperately wanted to see Human Adrien.

_Conclusion One_ : Father would  _disapprove._

_Conclusion Two_ : Adrien didn’t give a shit about Conclusion One.

Maybe Adrien  _could_  do with some new friends.

* * *

Marinette Dupain-Cheng was not having a good day.

It had been bad enough when she’d woken up to realizing she had totally screwed up her one and only job as a superhero. Then Adrien Agreste - whom she had actually been excited to meet - had put gum on her seat, and seemed confused as to why she was mad.

And now Alya wouldn’t take a hint and take the miraculous. Maybe the fates were against Marinette having something go right.

Marinette watched as Alya sprinted out of the classroom like a bloodhound following a scent. Yes, that was a good analogy to describe Alya. She was a bloodhound, and she scented superhero activities. It was somewhat absurd. Marinette wasn’t entirely sure what to think of Alya’s sudden and inexplicable obsession with the new superhero duo, especially since she was half of said duo, and had epically failed at contributing.

A twinge of pain ran through Marinette when she glanced down at the bag in her hand. Trying to think of something to do, she watched the other students stream out behind Alya, though their exits were less enthusiastic than the juvenile reporter’s. Marinette exhaled through her nose and swung Alya’s bag over her shoulder, then set out after her.

* * *

_God, Chat Noir must hate me right now._

Marinette listened to her partner shouting as the scene unfolded before her. She had been nothing but trouble to Chat Noir, his kwami, and Tikki. Chat Noir was a golden hero, if not a little bit over-excited, but Marinette? She had taken Chat Noir out the first time she had tried to use her yo-yo, while his staff seemed like merely an extension of his body. And yet he still screamed for help from the clumsy girl who had - literally - fallen into him when they first met.

Alya’s scream lurched Marinette out of her stupor, and she looked to the trapped girl. Her heart skipped a beat.

_Alya. Alya is trapped._

_And I’m not doing anything._

Marinette felt her pulse slow in her ears, echoing like a war drum. She saw Alya shout a name - _Ladybug!_  - and felt resolution rise from the pit of her stomach. Chat Noir trusted Ladybug. Alya trusted Ladybug. And even if it would take a while to get Marinette to trust Ladybug, she had to at least try.

At least for a day.

_One day_ , she promised herself.  _One day, and then I’ll give it to Alya._

Marinette ground her teeth and looked down at the box in her hand.

A moment later, Marinette Dupain-Cheng was wearing miraculous earrings. “Tikki, transform me!”

* * *

Marinette stormed into the classroom like a hurricane. Adrien’s eyebrows popped up as she and Alya, eyes bright with something in between menace and excitement, sat where Chloé and Sabrina had been sitting for the past two days, ignoring the odd stares they recieved. Adrien was at the back of the classroom, where Nino was introducing him to some of his new classmates, but the girls had successfully drawn everyone’s attention to them. 

It was only a few moments later when Chloé Bourgeois entered the room, and all conversation faded. At first, her gaze flickered to Adrien’s desk, but then it flashed upwards to the girls.

“What are you doing?” Chloé mounted the steps up to Marinette and Alya. “That’s  _my_  seat.”

Marinette stared resolutely at her, eyes so hard that Adrien wondered if her irises were made of diamond. “Not anymore.”

Someone  _ooh_ ed. Probably Nino. Adrien shifted so he could see Marinette better - because his fascination was peaking and he needed to witness this confrontation.

“Excuse me?” Chloé actually looked surprised at Marinette’s crisp retort. “Get out of my seat!”

Marinette shot to her feet. Chloé blinked in surprise at the girl, who, despite being shorter than the blonde, seemed to tower over her. It was something about the determination of her posture, the square of her shoulders. It was oddly familiar.

_Mom had that kind of strength when she was mad, too._

“No,” Marinette snapped. “This is my seat, and this has been my seat every year since we started school. You’ve bullied me - and everyone else - enough.” Marinette scowled. “And frankly, I’m sick of it. So go on, Chloé, sit down, and I’m going to stay right here in my seat.”

Chloé stared. No one was willing to even breathe as she slowly turned and sat in the front row, where she had doomed Marinette and Alya to sit previously (according to Nino - and every other student who had actually been present the first day of school).

Slowly, the class rumbled back to its normal drone, but Adrien couldn’t bring himself to focus on the conversation. His attention was whole-heartedly on Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

_Mon Dieu, she’s beautiful._

* * *

It was raining.

Marinette stared at the sky with a frown, her gaze dark. She had looked up to gauge whether she could get home in the rain, but her mind had started to wander.

_Perhaps if she transformed…_

“I was telling the truth when I said I was trying to get the gum off.”

Marinette’s gaze snapped to the blonde who had stepped up next to her. His gaze was also on the sky, the reflection of clouds making his eyes look stormy. Marinette only frowned in response. Nino had mentioned to her earlier that Adrien really had only been trying to help, but Adrien was friends with Chloé. Only someone really awful would like her.

_Or maybe someone really loyal. Or compassionate enough to be friends with someone and still stand up to them._

Marinette’s throat bobbed as he finally looked at her. She felt her resolve melt as she saw the vulnerability in his expression. She had seen his spectacular performance at the beginning of class, had overheard his conversation with Nino. And frankly, Marinette had overreacted when she’d seen him with the gum. “I’m sorry I shouted at you.”

He blinked. “Why would you be sorry?”

Marinette exhaled through her nose before speaking. “I have this bad habit of making assumptions about people.” She shot him a wavering smile. “Even people whom I’d like to be friends with.”

His face lit up like she had just given him a gift, or something priceless in nostalgic value. “You want to be friends with me?”

“Well, Adrien,” Marinette started, rocking back on her heels. “You were decent - and brave - enough to stand up to Chloé in order to protect someone you never met. Even though you’ve been friends for years. And honestly, that’s enough reason to want to be friends with anyone.”

Adrien’s face felt flushed. “Oh. Thanks.”

Marinette’s smile dimmed. “Oh, did I make it awkward? I do that a lot.”

_Clumsygirl and Captain Awkward._

“No!” Adrien’s ears burned at his louder-than-intended declaration. “You’re not awkward, I promise.”

Marinette let loose a slight laugh at how flustered he looked, her eyes crinkling as she did so. Adrien let out a light chuckle too, but frowned as the Gorilla’s car pulled up in front of the school. That was when he realized Marinette was only holding her back-pack - and he had no idea how far she had to walk. He was already getting wet, and they were standing under the ledge.

“Here.” He shoved his umbrella towards the black-haired girl. “My car is there, I don’t need an umbrella.”

Marinette’s eyes widened. “Oh, thanks.” She reached forwards, and Adrien swore he felt electricity spark as their fingers brushed.

_Mon dieu, mon dieu, mon dieu-_

Marinette opened the umbrella and settled it over her shoulder, angling a brilliant smile at Adrien that could rival the sun. He felt his heart pulsing through his body and wondered if he was dreaming, because he had just witnessed a goddess declaring she wanted to be friends with him. It wasn’t just her beauty - it was her power and the way she demanded respect and-

Marinette squealed as lightning struck in the sky above, sending a crash of thunder through the air. The umbrella collapsed around her, closing over her head. Adrien gaped as a moment of silence went taut between them. Then Marinette peeked out from under the umbrella and giggled softly.

Adrien let himself dissolve into laughter as another clap of thunder sounded.

It wasn’t until late that night that Adrien realized what had happened.

A clap of thunder.

_Mon dieu, I think I love her._

 

_\-- Find me on Tumblr by clicking[here](https://capncrunchofthelovesquare.tumblr.com/). --_


End file.
